


I'll Always Be Here

by orphan_account



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-05-01 00:12:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14508243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “Will you always be here for me? Even if I mess up?” It was a loaded question. Jedi weren’t supposed to have attachments, yes, but he could never leave Anakin. He wasn’t sure why he had thought to ask him that, but looking into Anakin’s eyes was like looking into his soul. And Obi-Wan could see that this was a question that burned in the back of his mind.“Always. I’ll always be here for you, Anakin, be sure of that.” With that Anakin sunk back into Obi-Wan’s arms and they stayed that way until morning came._________________________________________________He held Anakin in his arms. Words of little use as both cried into each other’s shoulders. He had failed his master, he had failed those who loved him and whom he loved, he failed the Jedi Order, and he failed his Padawan. But he would not fail again.





	1. Be Sure Of That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Will you always be here for me? Even if I mess up?” It was a loaded question. Jedi weren’t supposed to have attachments, yes, but he could never leave Anakin. He wasn’t sure why he had thought to ask him that, but looking into Anakin’s eyes was like looking into his soul. And Obi-Wan could see that this was a question that burned in the back of his mind.
> 
> “Always. I’ll always be here for you, Anakin, be sure of that.” With that Anakin sunk back into Obi-Wan’s arms and they stayed that way until morning came.

In the twelve years that he had known Anakin, he had only known him to truly break down in front of him a handful of times. It wasn’t that Anakin wasn’t emotional, it was quite the opposite in fact. But he never turned to him for help when he was distressed, and especially not since he had been knighted. Obi-Wan supposed it was the fact that, when Anakin had confided in him about his feelings in the past, he had been unhelpful and, possibly, though he loathed to admit it, cold. His commitment to the Code clashed with his wanting to help his former-padawan. 

But now, none of that mattered. What did matter was the fact that Anakin had forcibly thrown himself onto Obi-Wan and had proceeded to cry into his shoulder. Obi-Wan was naturally taken back a bit, but he patted Anakin’s back, albeit awkwardly, in an attempt to help comfort him. This only resulted in Anakin crying harder, however.

“Anakin?” He said softly, stroking his back. The other man responded by pressing his head harder into his shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I- I could’ve saved them.” Ah. So that’s what this is about. They had had a mission in Corellia, and, needless to say, it didn’t go well. In fact, it was a complete failure. So many had died and both of them were in the Halls of Healing for a week. 

“Anakin. Anakin look at me,” he adjusted his head slightly to look at the older man, “you did the best you could.”

“It wasn’t good enough.” For all that Anakin was the ‘Hero with No Fear’ he was still a person with feelings, even if he was a Jedi and was thus taught to not act on those feelings. But he digressed. Right now, Anakin was in need of his help, and he wouldn’t fail him again with his lack of emotional support. 

“It wasn’t your fault, Anakin. There wasn’t nothing more you could have done.” He continued to rub circles into Anakin’s back. The other man melted into the touch and his breathing evened a bit, but the tears didn’t stop coming. Obi-Wan pulled him into a tighter embrace and Anakin was quick to return the gesture, holding on as if he would lose him. Perhaps he was afraid he would, Obi-Wan thought sadly. The war had been hard on all of them, but Anakin seemed to take it personally, and he and Ahsoka were so young. It was a cruel war and it only raged on.

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said quietly after a while, “could I stay with you tonight?” He looked Anakin in the eyes, the were filled with fear, longing, and something else, something he couldn’t describe.

“Of course you can.” Anakin’s fear washed away and he pulled Obi-Wan into yet another hug. This time, however, it radiated gratefulness, not sorrow. 

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked softly, breaking the silence that had risen between them, he shifted to look Obi-Wan in the eyes. 

“Yes?” He breathed out.

“Will you always be here for me? Even if I mess up?” It was a loaded question. Jedi weren’t supposed to have attachments, yes, but he could never leave Anakin. He wasn’t sure why he had thought to ask him that, but looking into Anakin’s eyes was like looking into his soul. And Obi-Wan could see that this was a question that burned in the back of his mind.

“Always. I’ll always be here for you, Anakin, be sure of that.” With that Anakin sunk back into Obi-Wan’s arms and they stayed that way until morning came.


	2. Forgivness (Can You Imagine)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Force raged on in battle in Anakin, and they weren’t out of the woods yet. But while he could, he held Anakin in his arms. Words of little use as both cried into each other’s shoulders. He had failed his master, he had failed those who loved him and whom he loved, he failed the Jedi Order, and he failed his Padawan. But he would not fail again.

“I hate you!” The words stung, more than they ever had before, but only because now he fully realized the extent that his dedication to the Jedi Code had poisoned their relationship. He had stuck to the Code when he should have stuck to the ones he loved. And now he paid that price.

“You were my brother Anakin! I loved you!” Obi-Wan had never expressed that before, not when Anakin had been his Padawan, not when they had fought alongside one another in the Clone Wars, and not when Anakin had needed to hear it the most. And it was because of this, Obi-Wan felt, that Anakin truly turned in the end.

So desperate for love that the Jedi could not provide, he sought it out in Padme. And Palpatine used that against them, against Anakin. And now they stood on the volcanic planet of Mustafar, fighting as enemies when they had once fought together as friends.

Anakin screamed as he started to catch fire. He couldn’t stand it, he couldn’t do this, not to Anakin. He stepped forward, he had to help his friend, but he suddenly thought of the younglings whom Anakin had slaughtered and he hesitated. But then he thought of Anakin when he was young. That boy on Tatooine whom Qui-Gon had saved. That boy who hadn’t lost his innocence despite being subjected to slavery. That boy who had grown into the man before him. He couldn’t leave him, not now, not even after what he had done. So he went to him.

\---------

Pulling him from the flames had not been easy, and the younger man’s severe injuries most certainly did not help in terms of moving him. But he wouldn’t give up on him, he wouldn’t let him down, not again.

He cradled the burned man in his arms. His Force healing abilities were rudimentary at best, but Anakin needed help. So he tried his hardest.

Tears formed in his eyes. The Jedi were supposed to help those in need, and yet they neglected, he neglected, the one who needed help the most.

“Anakin,” he said softly, “forgive me. Oh Force, please forgive me. I failed you, I wasn’t there when you needed me, and I am sorry.” He wasn’t even sure if he could hear him, and he could feel the life fading from the man in his arms. His tears only flowed harder. But his determination to save him only increased. He did everything he could to ease the other man’s pain. It had to be enough. It would be enough.

He didn’t allow himself the pleasure of believing his words.

He needed to get Anakin back to the ship, so he could get him proper medical attention. So he carried him, and with him missing nearly half his body, he was much easier to carry. No thanks to him, Obi-Wan thought solemnly.

\---------

Padme cried when she saw what had become of her husband. Half the man he was before, quite literally, and burned nearly beyond recognition. But she wouldn’t give up on him either though, she never would.

“Is he - will he make it?” She watched as Obi-Wan carried Anakin’s limp form onboard. Obi-Wan looked at her sadly, he couldn’t bring himself to say that it was unlikely. Padme sensed this and only cried harder. To see the former queen and senator, who normally was so strong, look so heartbroken, it was devastating to Obi-Wan.

He couldn’t make her suffer this loss. He would save Anakin, he would. And he would do everything in his power to make sure that he could. They had to get Anakin to a medical facility, fast.

Polis Massa, a thought tugged at the back of his mind. Polis Massa, he remembered, had a medical facility! That’s where they had to go. Getting there would be would be no easy feat, but it was the nearest place they could go that they would be safe.

Anakin, still in his arms, was unconscious and fading fast. And Padme, it seemed, had started to go into labour. And she looked almost as pained as Anakin himself.

If he could just get them to Polis Massa, then they would be safe. He pleaded to the Force to grant him this, even if he deserved nothing, just grant him this, do not let them die.

\---------

They put Anakin in a bacta tank as soon as they landed, it could hardly fix the damage done to him by Obi-Wan, but it could help the burns.

And Padme gave birth to twins. Luke and Leia, how the Force sung for them. They shined so radiantly in it, that it took him a moment to realize there was another source that it was coming from.

“Anakin!” He raced to where he was. And when he reached the room, he nearly cried again, for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. In the bacta tank his burns seemed less harsh, and though the scarring was evident and his hair was gone, he was alive, and that’s all that mattered to Obi-Wan.

He was still unconscious, and would be for a while. But Obi-Wan could wait. He would wait for however long it took so he could apologize for not being what he needed him to be until it was too late.

Then he realized, Anakin had fallen. He was a fallen Jedi, a Sith even. There was no coming back from that, Master Yoda assured him that. But, maybe, just maybe there was hope. He could never give up hope. Not with Anakin.

\---------

Luke and Leia had to be separated, with Palpatine hunting down the Jedi and his apprentice missing, it was unsafe for them to be together and with their family. Bail had agreed to take Leia and watch her. And Obi-Wan had given Luke to his aunt and uncle to watch over until they could be taken home. Meanwhile, Padme stayed with the still healing Anakin, who lied asleep in a coma, until Obi-Wan returned.

He stayed for a week on Tatooine, to make sure that Luke adjusted well, until Owen shooed him away. Then he returned to the medical facilities on Polis Massa.

And when he returned, he felt the Force turning and singing in a way he had never felt before. It pulled him close and yet drove him away. Calmed him and yet he felt such unease. The Force was at odds and trying to balance itself, with Anakin as its battleground.

“Anakin! Anakin, are you alright?” He rushed into the room, ignoring the protests of the droids. Out of the bacta tank now, and lying on a bed was Anakin Skywalker, returned from near-death.

“Master.” He heard Anakin’s voice, weak from lack of use and soft with sorrow. Then his eyes flashed yellow. He seethed with rage before returning to his previous state. Tears fell from his eyes and Obi-Wan went over to the now crying, hopefully ex-Sith. And he wrapped his arms around his former-Padawan.

“I’m sorry, Master. I- I killed them, I didn’t- I-” “Anakin, it’s me who should be sorry.”

The Force raged on in battle in Anakin, and they weren’t out of the woods yet. But while he could, he held Anakin in his arms. Words of little use as both cried into each other’s shoulders. He had failed his master, he had failed those who loved him and whom he loved, he failed the Jedi Order, and he failed his Padawan. But he would not fail again.


End file.
